Romance Among Band Members: Is It Good For Morale Or A Distraction?

Romance and music always go hand in hand. Don’t they? There have been so many romantic numbers which have hit the music charts top numbers that these days we even see musicians’ classifieds these days with specific requirements for singers whose forte is romantic numbers. All is well till the romance remains in the music and lyrics. The complication arises when the romance is also present among the people behind delivering the romantic music and the lyrics to our ears.

Music star romance has been a part of the industry since decades. There have been several instances wherein band members have been involved in a romantic relationship. The results of a romantic relationship amongst the music band members can have varying results on the music itself that comes out of the stable and also on the rapport amongst the band members.

There have been several instances where the in-house romance has worked wonders to the music that comes out of the stable; also there have been instances when the romance turning sour has spelled doom for the entire band.

While it can be safely said that it is a very subjective to discuss whether it is good for the band or a bit of distraction for the members involved in the relationship and others in the band when there is a romantic chemistry brewing, we can surely point out some of the pros and cons on the issue. It would also be interesting to know about some of the music bands who have gone through the phase and how it impacted their music.

Let’s begin with some pros of romance among band members:

One can contest if one has a loved one within the work group, especially in the creative arts field like music, one will always have an honest critique that can point out even the minor flaws and appreciate even the slightest of successes. This definitely goes a long way in not just fine tuning the music.

Adding a little emotion to the music never goes bad. With love in the air within the band, the musicians need not really look somewhere else for inspirations to churn out those romantic numbers.

If the love birds within the music band are amongst the lead vocalists or the lead guitarists (or any leads), they can also inspire the group to stay together even in difficult times. A little inspiration or motivation is all what would be needed to hold the group together. With positive emotions flying high, it might not seem so difficult

If we look at this the other way, if there have been a love birds within the music band who have recently broken up, this might even take the group in directions so far not charted by the band. May be a different genre of music, or different emotions in your songs. This will help the band in becoming more famous within the musicians’ classifieds

The history of music industry is laden with such examples where the love chemistry amongst the band members has made the band to deliver to top charts and famous numbers. The rock band named Fleetwood Mac made some of their best numbers when there was a love relationship going on between the lead singer Steve Nicks and log time beau Lindsey Buckingham. The music number got even better when the relationship turned sour and the couple called it quits. It was then that the one of the band’s most successful album Rumours was being recorded.

Another example would be of the musicians Chris Stein and Deborah Harry, who were in a long romantic relationship in their entire journey of the band and delivered smash hits like Heart of Glass and Rapture. The couple eventually broke up a decade after illness of the band member, but the couple made some wonderful music with the band

The story of Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox has a slight twist. The couple was in a long romantic relationship before they started working together as the band The Eurythemics. Even after things did not go smooth at the relationship level, they knew what was more important for them – the music. Together they delivered hits like Here Comes the Rain Again and Sweet Dreams. Going by some of the numbers, The Eurythmics have been the biggest selling duo in The Great Britain.

If we look at some of the cons of having a romantic relationship within the music band, some might agree that it is more of a distraction for the couple involved in the relationship and also for the other band member. This at times might trigger negativity within the band and most importantly impact the quality of music coming out of the stable.

People say, too much of everything is bad. Same goes for too much of love, especially if it impacting the lives and careers of other in the band. The love relationship might result in the couple giving preferential treatment to their better halves and disregarding the critique and opinions of the others in the band. Being in the creative field, if a musician feels he and his opinions are not valued enough, it might result in the band going out of existence in no time.

Every couple does have highs and lows in a relationship. The trick is to not let those impact the professional careers. No one would like the lead vocalist and the drummer in the music band to fight over a raised toilet seat at home.

If the band size is small, say four to five members, it will always be difficult to form a cohesive group of people where in two people are always on one side and the discussions regarding the type of music, or marketing or concerts to perform has to go through by breaking a cartel of the two who might always be on the same side.

If the love birds are going through a low phase, something like a break-up, it will be too much of an emotional baggage for rest of the band members which they did not ask for and will definitely impact the quality of music and also the timelines on which the band might be working towards.

In short, being in a relationship is never that easy anyways. Combine that with your loved one being a part of your work environment as well, you are really up for a challenge. And, like any other professional set up, challenges bring out either the best in a person or the worst in them. But if we strike the right chords, we might bring out the best music out to the world with the love and inspiration from our loved one!

*Kristen is a freelance writer who writes on different topics such as entertainment, music and lifestyle. She holds bachelor’s degree in electronics. Her famous articles includes article on Music Job in band. She loves to travel and make new friends.